Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama) by Carole Williams (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

ending in her dramatic death falling down the steps to the beach and breaking her neck whilst living in little better than a shack with her lover, having spent all the divorce settlement.  Finally, the press turned their attention onto Delia, her relationship with Rocky and speculation as to why she brought him to the U.K to meet Richard and of course, the double killing in Richard’s flat.

The fact that Charles had suffered a debilitating heart attack also seemed to be newsworthy and Susan Armitage and the Hardy’s were taking turns in manning the telephone twenty-four hours a day to deflect annoying calls from reaching Ruth or Vicky.  Both women felt they were under siege and knew that the morning papers would also contain pictures of the hearse arriving with Richard’s coffin, which would be even more upsetting.  All in all it was a pretty miserable, tense state of affairs, which was only going to get worse in the coming days with the funeral and the imminent arrival of Delia.

Ruth felt sorry for Elizabeth and George too, who were also grieving for Rocky, the child they had brought up as their own, and who were in the throes of arranging for his funeral. They too were suffering from unwelcome attention from the press and had taken refuge in Elizabeth’s father’s palatial home in Norfolk, which was more private and harder to gain entry to than their detached home in Bristol where George was now teaching at the university.

“It’s only going to get worse,” moaned Vicky.  “Once Delia gets here those damned reporters will want pictures of her and they’ll probably try to get access to the estate so they can get some of the funeral.  God, it’s simply ghastly.  I can’t believe how everything has blown up in our faces in such a short space of time … and I’m so frightened for Daddy.  Whatever happens, he mustn’t come home, Ruth.  All this would kill him.”

Ruth nodded in agreement, fearing Charles’ reaction to the news that he would have to stay in hospital for at least another fortnight and miss his son’s funeral.  No-one had told him yet and having discussed the situation with the Consultant, it had been decided she would be the one to tell him.  She wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Actually, I was thinking … once his health has improved, we could have a simple memorial service later on … perhaps in the spring … once Delia has been dealt with.”

“That’s a good idea and will hopefully placate him.”

“Anyway, I think we had better prepare ourselves for Delia’s arrival,” grimaced Ruth, quaking at the thought of the coming meeting with her eldest stepdaughter.  “I’m going to talk to Tina and tell her that while Delia is here, Stephen mustn’t be left alone for an instant.  I’m probably over-reacting, indeed I hope I am but I shan’t feel easy until Delia has removed herself from Canleigh again.”

Ruth hastened up to the nursery to find Tina and then the whole household waited tensely for Delia to make an appearance that day.  She didn’t arrive and there was no further word from her.

“Perhaps she’s made a bid for escape and she’s not going to come here after all,” remarked Vicky hopefully, pushing her food around her plate at dinner that evening.  The beautifully cooked salmon in a white wine sauce and vegetables were delicious but she could only eat a few mouthfuls.

Ruth, recently returned from visiting Charles at the hospital, was hungry but she found it difficult to eat too.  The nervous butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t go away and she seemed to be so very cold, even after having a hot bath and pulling on a thick woollen dress.  All she wanted to do was curl up in bed, fall asleep and on waking in the morning find this entire dreadful trauma was nothing more than a horrible dream.

“She’ll come,” Ruth sighed.  “You know she will.  She’s just making her entrance more dramatic than need be.  She knows we will be here, quaking in our boots.”

“How was Daddy?” asked Vicky, taking a sip of her Sauvignon Blanc.

Ruth tried to smile.  Her lips moved but her eyes didn’t light up.  “A little better,” she said reassuringly, not wanting to tell Vicky how upset he really was.  Her visit hadn’t been a happy one.  Charles had lain in his bed, still wired up to various machines, breathing harshly and looking particularly frail.

“Why Ruth?  Why on earth did Delia kill Richard?” he asked.  “There was no need.  No damned need at all.”

“It’s not clear she actually did yet,” Ruth said, trying to soothe his anguish.  “It was probably as she explained.  This Rocky chap killed Richard for some unknown reason and then turned the gun on her.  It was self-defence.  It had to be,” she said, not believing her own words and knowing he wouldn’t either.

Charles shook his head.  “No, Ruth.  I don’t believe that version at all.  She’s always been headstrong and she’s always resented Richard because of Canleigh.  She would do anything to get her hands on it.  I’ll never forget the way she was at that last dinner we all had together.  She was evil once she knew I was handing over the estate to Richard and also hiring a new estate manager and there was no place for her in the scheme of things … but it had all been sorted before she and Philip split up.  I naturally thought she would be settled at Tangles with him and that would be that … and even though she does love and cherish Canleigh, she would be bound to marry someone and move away at some point.  It just wasn’t sensible to consider allowing her any responsibility for the estate … and once I handed it over to Richard, it was his decision anyway … but she was wild that night, Ruth.  Bordering